Ravenkit's Destiny
by xxdeletexx
Summary: His family despises him. His Clan hates him so much it hurts. Ravenkit's only friend is Bluestar, a StarClan cat. She gives him a mysterious prophecy. It promises him a home where he will be loved by his family and his Clan. But he faces dark betrayals as Bluestar seems to turn away from him, and his one true love becomes his enemy. How will Ravenkit cope with all that is going on?
1. Prologue

Prologue

Ravenkit looked up at the starry night sky, sighing.

He closed his molten orange eyes briefly in depression. No cat liked him. Not his mother, his father nor his siblings. It was all because he had 'molten' eyes. They thought he was weird. So they made him an outcast. He was always the last of his siblings to get food, and always got shoved out of the way. All the kits excluded him from their games. The only other cat who was kind to him was Bluestar, but she was a StarClan cat.

"Ravenkit." Bluestar whispered.

Ravenkit looked up to see a blue-gray she-cat.

"Bluestar!" Ravenkit mewled, tears staining his pure black fur.

Bluestar touched noses with him, kindness glittering in her icy-blue gaze.

"I have a prophecy for you." Bluestar meowed, her eyes darkening all of a sudden.

"What is it?" Ravenkit asked, his eyes brimming with excitement, but his tone stayed dark and shadowy.

"The wind on the moor will blow the raven toward its destiny." Bluestar mewed.

"What does that mean?" Ravenkit queried his only friend. But Bluestar had already begun to fade away.

Ravenkit felt the ground vanish beneath him, and he fell and fell, deep into the everlasting darkness.


	2. The Muddy Raven

**Thank you to all of those people who have either Favorited this or Followed this story! I never knew so many people would like my story!**

Chapter 1

Dovewing grabbed Ravenkit by the scruff, dragging him through the squishy mud.  
>"There." Dovewing spat coldly as she set him down in a pile of nettle drenched in mud.<br>"Now you have some place to sleep."  
>Rain began to fall, splashing against Ravenkit's dark pelt.<br>He watched as his mother, Dovewing, carried Marigoldkit into the nursery. His father, Bumblestripe, carried Milkkit into the nursery.  
>"Wait for me!" Ravenkit cried.<br>Dovewing turned and glared at him harshly.  
>"You don't deserve to sleep with your siblings tonight." She snapped.<br>"You've been looking at other cats again. You know they get disturbed by your eyes."  
>Ravenkit's heart cracked. He looked at the muddy soil being splattered everywhere by the rain.<br>"I'm sorry." He apologized, his voice rising as if about to burst into tears.  
>"I won't ever make eye-contact with cats ever again." He promised.<br>"Too late for that." Dovewing hissed.  
>"Make your own nest. And don't even THINK about coming into the nursery." She meowed, her pale-blue eyes flashing with hatred for her son.<br>And with that, she padded into the nursery.  
>Ravenkit stifled a wail of pain and loss. A lone tear trickled down the side of his face.<br>He looked to Silverpelt for comfort from his ancestors, but none came. Just the shimmering of stars and the glow of the crescent moon.


	3. The Gathering

Chapter 2

Ravenkit awoke to a cold breeze buffeting his fur and sticky mud hardening around him. He looked around the ThunderClan camp, nearly laughing for the first time when he saw Milkkit tumble to the ground, pushed by Marigoldkit. But he held it in, knowing that like Dovewing had said, that laughing would only make him feel worse because he was never meant to be born. She had said that he was supposed to have died like his dead sister, Mintkit, when she had been born too weak to survive. Now Ravenkit was the strongest of his litter. Dovewing and Bumblestripe refused to kill him because it was against the Warrior Code.

"Ravenkit!" Dovewing called.

"Yes?" Ravenkit asked his mother.

"It's time for today's meal!" She answered, dropping the scrawniest thrush on the fresh-kill pile at his paws.

"Thanks!" Ravenkit mewled, his belly rumbling like thunder. He plunged his muzzle into the thrush, blood splattering everywhere. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dovewing pad away with a look of disgust on her face.

When Ravenkit finished his thrush, he noticed Marigold and Milkkit padding toward him.

"Bramblestar says we're going to trade you to the other Clans for prey and land!" Milkkit mewed tauntingly.

"Yeah, he said you're coming with him to the Gathering tonight so he can trade you there." Spat Marigoldkit.

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Wind whipped through the trees of the island, shaking leaves down. A sea of cats sat in the middle of the Gathering Island as other Clans glared with hostility at Ravenkit.

"I see ThunderClan is so desperate for warriors that they apprentice kits!" A light gray she-cat taunted.

Mistystar yowled for the Gathering to begin.

"RiverClan-" she began, but was cut off by the WindClan leader.

"Onestar is dead!" The ash-colored leader cried out, not thinking.

"Ashstar! Wait your turn!" Bramblestar hissed.

Mistystar's sea-blue gaze softened as she began to speak.

"RiverClan is thriving well, and we have no exciting news to share except for that our deputy, Reedwhisker, has joined the elders' den and is being replaced by Minnowtail." She meowed.

"Reedwhisker! Reedwhisker!" The Clans called out.

Ravenkit shrank back in the crowd as the loud voices rang out.

Mistystar nodded to Ashstar, who spoke at once.

"Onestar has lost his lives to greencough, but WindClan is happy and well-fed." Mewed Ashstar, who seemed a bit nervous.

"Thanks." Bramblestar meowed as Ashstar nodded to him.

"ThunderClan is thriving as well, and we have five new warriors; Seedfrost, Lilydapple, Ambereyes, Snowclaw and Dewdusk."

The Clans cheered the new warriors' names.

"We are also offering up a kit for any Clan that is willing to take him. Ravenkit, come forth." Bramblestar mewed.

Ravenkit reluctantly padded up to Bramblestar, who's eyes were gleaming with greed for more territory.

Ravenkit closed his eyes.

"We'll take him!" Ashstar volunteered, and Ravenkit heard a gasp from Blackstar as Ravenkit opened his eyes, showing his bizarre color.

_WindClan _would take Ravenkit in?


	4. Settling In

Chapter 3

Ravenkit padded behind Ashstar and WindClan across the moonlit moor. His eyes threatened to close, but Ravenkit managed to stay awake until Ashstar led him to the nursery, which was an abandoned fox den.

Ravenkit yawned, then started to pad in the direction of the nursery. He curled up inside it, though it was more crowded and cramped than he'd expected.

He glanced around, and saw a dark brown tabby she-kit resting beside a small white queen.

"Hello?" he whispered softly, but no cat stirred.

Instead, Ravenkit decided to drift to sleep. It was hard at first, as the harsh late leaf-fall wind blew in through the den opening, chilling Ravenkit to the bone. He wasn't used to weather like this.

Ashstar had agreed to give Bramblestar some of WindClan's herbs in exchange for Ravenkit.

Ravenkit smiled smugly to himself. He'd become the best fighter yet, and show ThunderClan that he could've been of use to them.


	5. Ravenkit's Promise

Chapter 4

Ravenkit blinked his eyes open to find himself in a musky, misty forest surrounded by the lush canopy of dark forest leaves, blocking out any starlight.

"Where am I? Is this StarClan?" Ravenkit whispered in a hushed voice.

He had never been to StarClan, but Bluestar had visited him on rare occasions.

"Hello, little one." An orange-and-white she-cat padded slowly up to him.

"Where's Bluestar?" Ravenkit asked warily.

"Around," the she-cat answered.

"Can I see her?" Ravenkit queried.

The she-cat purred. "She's busy," she told him.

"What's your name?" Ravenkit was so incredibly curious.

"Mapleshade," the she-cat mewed gently.

"I'm-"

"Ravenkit, I know." Mapleshade stroked his spine with the tip of her tail.

"Is this really StarClan?" he asked her.

But Mapleshade only looked at him with hungry eyes.

"I can give you anything you ever wanted," she whispered, circling Ravenkit. "All the power you've ever dreamed of. If you can promise me one thing."

"I promise!" Ravenkit mewled excitedly.

"Hush, little one. You don't even know what kind of promise you'll be making," Mapleshade cooed.

"What is it?" Ravenkit was dying to know.

"Do you promise," Mapleshade began. "That you'll be loyal to your Clan above all costs, no matter what you want?"

"I do! I promise!" Ravenkit's thrilled yowl echoed clear across the forest.

"Ravenkit!" Bluestar yowled.

Ravenkit twisted his head around and saw the blue-gray she-cat he always knew and loved.

"Bluestar!" Ravenkit was about to run up to her and greet her when Mapleshade grabbed his scruff and dragged him away.

"Ravenkit!" Bluestar yowled, but she, too, was dragged away by other cats, barely shadows outlined in the mist.

"Do you make that promise, regardless of your previous Clan?" Mapleshade whispered into his ear.

Ravenkit nodded determinedly. He'd never like those ThunderClan scums!

"I do!" he chimed.

"Good," Mapleshade meowed soothingly. "Now, go to sleep, and tomorrow night, I will help you fulfill your great destiny."

"I have a great destiny?" Ravenkit echoed.

Mapleshade looked surprised. "But of course!" she hissed calmly.

"What kind?" Ravenkit beamed.

"You'll find out soon enough," Mapleshade whispered. "You really do have a great destiny ahead of you."

"What kind?" Ravenkit repeated.

Mapleshade sighed. "Do you _really _want to know now?"

Ravenkit nodded firmly. "More than anything in the world!"

"OK, then," Mapleshade's voice hushed down to a soft murmur. "You will be the greatest leader the Clans have ever known!"

Ravenkit gasped in excitement. "Really?!"

Mapleshade nodded. "Really."

Ravenkit couldn't believe his ears! He was to be the greatest leader ever!

"Even better than Firestar?" he inquired the old she-cat.

"Ten times as better!" Mapleshade cheered.

"Even better than Crookedstar?!"

Mapleshade flinched at the name Crookedstar.

"Of course!" she hissed through gritted teeth. "Now, you'd better get some rest before you begin your training tomorrow night."

Ravenkit nodded sleepily, curling up into a ball in a patch of dark nettle, drifting into a peaceful slumber.

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"Who's he, Whitetail?" a small voice mewled.

"Hush, Softkit, don't wake him," a calm voice murmured.

Ravenkit blinked open his eyes, staring straight into the blue-green eyes of the small white queen he'd seen earlier. He was shocked to find that the she-cat didn't even twitch a whisker as she gazed into his molten-orange eyes.

"Ew, he's gross!" Softkit hissed.

"Softkit!" Whitetail gently swatted the sleek, light gray she-cat.

"I think he looks handsome," a light brown tabby queen purred.

Ravenkit was carried away in a flush of embarrassment.

"But he looks so ugly!" a ginger tabby tom-kit spat.

"Hush, Gingerkit," the light brown queen scolded.

"Heathertail, I don't want to!" Gingerkit wailed.

"Yeah! He's so bizarre!" a dark gray tom-kit criticized.

"If you're going to be that rude, Graykit-all of you-then no more mice today! Just milk!" Heathertail scolded the three kits.

Softkit buried her face in her mother's fur, while Gingerkit and Graykit just huffed.

"We're so sorry," Whitetail apologized.

"It's nothing, really," Ravenkit reassured the angry queens. "I'm used to it. Even though it is just my eyes."

The two queens exchanged worried glances.

"What?" Ravenkit asked, his heart beginning to pound. "What is it?"

Heathertail flicked her tail toward a small puddle dappled with silver-blue ripples.

Ravenkit gulped, padding warily over to the small pool of water. He peered at his reflection, gasping in horror as he saw himself; a black tom-kit with white chestfur, white paws, molten-orange eyes and... something new, something he hadn't noticed before, or might've always been there to begin with and he hadn't noticed it at first as he might've been too horrified at the color of his eyes for his mind to even care. He noticed two diagonal lines pass through each other, dark gray, across his black face, making it look like a furry, gray 'x'. Not only that, but one of his eyes was bright, molten-orange, and the other was a dark, fiery-orange color. Not able to take it anymore, Ravenkit rushed past the gathered cats to get away from it all, only to bump into Ashstar.

"Fitting in well?" Ashstar asked gently.

Ravenkit searched her clear blue eyes, looking for disgust and regret, but all he saw was soft kindess and understanding. Before he knew it, Ravenkit had burst into a series of tears as he sobbed in front of Ashstar, who looked at him with pity.

"I want to be loved! I want to be cared for!" he wailed aloud.

"Oh, Ravenkit, you _are _being cared for, right here right now," Ashstar soothed.

Ravenkit didn't believe it. He raced into the darkest, furthest corner of the nursery and sobbed there until night fell and he was bone-tired. Then, sleep washed over him like a soothing, cold wave.

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"Ravenkit!" Mapleshade's hiss startled Ravenkit awake as he blinked his eyes open to a dark, misty forest once again. His veins pumped with energy, which was unexpected since he fell asleep exhausted.

"Time to begin training!" The orange-and-white she-cat circled him impatiently. Without warning, she struck a blow to his face, claws unsheathed.

"Duck under!" she hissed. "Always be prepared! A warrior is always prepared!"

Ravenkit breathed in and out, looking at his mentor with anticipation.

"Are you ready for hard work?" Mapleshade hissed.

"I'm ready," Ravenkit breathed, steadying his paws.

"Good," Mapleshade whispered into his ear, smiling grimly.

They trained all night long, working Ravenkit until he felt as though he'd collapse.

"It's dawn," Mapleshade mewed.

"Let me get this move right first," Ravenkit demanded. "I'm still a kit, it's not like I have a dawn patrol to attend to."

Ravenkit leaped up in the air, twisting onto his back, feeling the thick mist dampen his fur. Then, claws unsheathed, he slashed at the waiting Mapleshade with his hind claws, landing with a thump on the ground. He was on his back as he hit the forest floor.

"Nice try," Mapleshade meowed quickly. "But I've got to go."

Ravenkit dug his claws into the soft soil as the world swayed beneath him. He didn't want to go! Too late, though.

"Ravenkit? Why are you covered in scratches?" Softkit mewled.

"There must be a thorn in my nest or something," Ravenkit mewed quickly.

"That's one StarClan cursed thorn," Gingerkit teased.

"Yeah, you look like a fox that just got beat up by a patrol of warriors!" Graykit taunted.

"He's a fox?!" Softkit gasped mischievously. "Run!"

The three kits squealed, racing out of the nursery. Out of boredom and hope that playing fox with his new Denmates would make them like him, Ravenkit gave chase.

"You're not supposed to follow us!" Softkit hissed at him. Ravenkit kept running after them anyway.

"Yeah, you're supposed to stay, scared, in your den!" Graykit wailed.

"You're no fun!" Gingerkit huffed.

"But you can attack me while I'm in my den!" Ravenkit squealed.

"I guess," Softkit mewled flatly.

Ravenkit crept back into the den, pretending to be asleep as the three other kits crept up on him. This was going to be fun!

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Mapleshade wore a smug smile on her face as she padded through the Dark Forest. She dipped her head to Antpelt as she passed him.

She had made Ravenkit accept her promise, and what a fool he was for not declining! Better for her, though. Ravenkit was unaware of the promise Crookedstar had made all those seasons ago, not knowing that he'd have to sacrifice every single cat he ever loved. Mapleshade nearly cackled out loud at the thought of Ravenkit wailing in pain as all his loved ones passed away. She'd make cats love him so he could feel the pain of losing someone.

_Aha! _Mapleshade thought as a brilliant idea seared through her mind. _I'll make loads and loads of cats love him, and when he's finally leader, I'll kill them all! _Mapleshade ran her thorn-sharp claws down the side of a tree trunk. She would do all she planned to Ravenkit! She'd keep her promise, she'd make him leader, the greatest leader ever! She'd make him lose all his loved ones, and he'd have no choice but to thank her for making him become leader! Then one day, she'd kill him! What a horrible life he'd live! And it was all because of Mapleshade! Mapleshade! Her gaze glittered wildly. She loved her name! She loved her life! And now it was time for Ravenkit to have a great yet awful destiny!

"This will be fun!" she whispered to herself.

This was his destiny, this was Ravenkit's destiny! And she'd make his destiny happen!


	6. Night of the Raven

**A quick note. All of my other stories shall be delayed and NOT get updated until I am finished with this story. Have a nice day. -Burrfrost**

Chapter 5

Ravenkit curled up beside his new littermate, Softkit, who was now his foster sister, Whitetail, his foster mother, and Boulderfur, his foster father.

_Having a family who actually cares about you feels nice, _Ravenkit thought with pleasure. Softkit had finally warmed up to him, and it made Ravenkit feel special that his new family cared about him, loved him, would protect him.

"Can't you sleep?" Gingerkit's mew startled him. He forgot that Gingerkit and Graykit still disliked him.

"Shut up," Softkit mumbled, turning over.

Suddenly, excitement fizzed through Ravenkit at the prospect of training with Mapleshade, his StarClan mentor. He squeezed his eyes shut, and willed sleep to come. It did, and swept him away from his body as his spirit rose up to StarClan, ready to train with his StarClan mentor for the night.

"Hello, Ravenkit," Mapleshade's welcoming made Ravenkit feel as if he could remain there forever. He dipped his head as the familiar orange-and-white she-cat padded up to him, and they touched noses like they had known each other for seasons.

"Are you ready to continue your training?" she murmured.

"Yes!" squealed Ravenkit, bouncing up and down. "Let me show you that move you taught me! I'm going to be the best warrior WindClan has ever seen!"

Mapleshade purred. "I'm afraid not, dear," she whispered.

Ravenkit's heart lurched. "W-what do you mean?" he squeaked worriedly.

"I mean," began Mapleshade. "That you're going to be the best _leader _the _Clans _have ever seen!" Her mighty mew echoed throughout the forest.

"Now," she mewed. "Show me that move you've been dying to have me see."

Ravenkit nodded, leaping in the air, twisting onto his back and slashing out at a clump of misty moss with his hind claws, slicing it into several tiny pieces. Just before he hit the ground, Ravenkit twisted so all four of his paws were facing the forest floor, and landed feet-first.

Mapleshade's eyes brimmed with joy.

"Excellent!" she beamed. "Already you have the makings of a fine warrior!"

Ravenkit straightened up proudly.

"Your mentor will be so impressed!" Mapleshade yowled proudly. "Soon, you'll have glory, power over all the Clans, and respect!"

_Respect. _Ravenkit repeated the word in his mind. It sounded better each time he played it in his head.

"Ready to learn a new move?" Mapleshade's words snapped him out of respect land.

"Yes!" Ravenkit chimed.

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"I've never met your sisters, Softkit. How come?" Ravenkit asked his foster sister.

"Meh. They stayed in the elders' den for a while listening to Tornear's stories," Softkit replied smoothly.

"That long? What about milk?"

"They eat prey, now."

"Really?"

Ravenkit and Softkit stopped at a rather large, abandoned badger's den.

"Is this the elders' den?" Ravenkit queried.

Softkit nodded. Together, they padded inside. Ravenkit sneezed as the dust filled his nostrils.

"And so, we fought off those Dark Forest warriors, and made sure they stayed out of they elders' den! Mapleshade was so stubborn..." Tornear began.

Ravenkit stiffened. Did he say _Mapleshade_? Surely not! Mapleshade was a StarClan warrior, not a Dark Forest warrior! Right?

"Silverhawk and-" Tornear stopped as he and Webfoot looked at the two new kits. Ravenkit looked at the two she-kits; a golden tabby she-kit with a dark gray splotch on her forehead, and a dark red she-kit.

"Webfoot, Tornear, Rosekit, Stormkit," Softkit dipped her head to each cat in turn. "This is Ravenkit. Ravenkit, this is Webfoot, Tornear, Rosekit and Stormkit."

"Uh... hi..." Ravenkit mumbled, shuffling his paws beneath him uncomfortably.

Rosekit rushed up to Ravenkit, her dark blue eyes searching him.

"Hi!" she squeaked, cocking her head to one side as she studied him. "You sure are handsome!"

"Er... thanks..." Ravenkit had never been called 'handsome' by a peer.

Stormkit kneaded the dark soil with her front claws, muttering something Ravenkit couldn't understand.

"Hi," she hissed gruffly.

"What's eating her?" Ravenkit whispered to Rosekit.

"I think she likes you," Rosekit murmured back.

The ground swayed beneath Ravenkit's paws. Was it possible?

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"Ravenkit, come forward," meowed Ashstar. She seemed to have gotten over her grief for Onestar, and had grasped the qualities of a true leader.

"I hereby name you Ravenpaw, apprentice of..." Ashstar's gaze swept over the sea of WindClan cats. "Apprentice of Gorsetail!"

"Ravenpaw! Ravenpaw!" cheered the WindClan cats.

Ravenpaw touched noses with the pale she-cat as he sat beside her, watching the rest of the apprentice ceremony take place.

Rosepaw was apprenticed to Whiskernose, Stormpaw to Sedgewhisker, Softpaw to Furzepelt, Gingerpaw to Emberfoot, and Graypaw to Leaftail.

"I'm so excited!" Rosepaw whispered to Ravenpaw as she sat down beside him. "We'll get a tour of the territory soon!"

Ravenpaw was thrilled about that part, but more thrilled about how he could impress Gorsetail by showing her the moves Mapleshade had taught him.

"Rosepaw!" Whiskernose called to his apprentice.

"Yes?" Rosepaw called back, her dark blue eyes still sparkling with excitement.

"Time for the tour of WindClan territory!"

"I have to go," Rosepaw muttered to Ravenpaw, brushing her muzzle against his. "See you later."

_Yeah... _thought Ravenpaw dreamily as he gazed after the dark red apprentice. _See you later..._

Then Ravenpaw stared out across the bleak moorland, realizing that there wasn't much to see except for the never ending grass that stretched out across the vast landscape, whispering in the greenleaf sun as the soft breezes tickled its blades of grass.

"Ravenpaw?" Gorsetail's mew made him jump.

"Yes?" he replied shakily.

"We're going to go on the tour of the territory with Softpaw and Stormpaw, OK?" Gorsetail informed him.

Ravenpaw nodded. His heart wished that Rosepaw could come with them, and his mind just laughed.

_How could you be so dumb? _His mind cackled. _But... but she _likes _me! _Argued his heart. _She'll distract you from becoming a great warrior! _After a while Ravenpaw noticed that it wasn't his mind speaking, but it was Mapleshade. Her thick, raspy voice still echoed in his mind. _She'll distract you from becoming a great warrior! _

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"You rabbit-brain!" hissed Mapleshade, her tone sticky with anger. "Remember your promise! You can't go mooning after some fluffy pretty she-cat! She'll drag you away from your top priority!"

StarClan cats weren't supposed to be this cruel! What was wrong with her?!

"My promise was that I'd be loyal to my Clan, and I am!" Ravenpaw spat back at her.

"Yes," Mapleshade echoed. "It was. But like I told you before; forget about what _you _want, think about what your _Clan _needs! The Clan is stronger and better than its cats!"

"I'm sorry," Ravenpaw mewed, frightened. "Can we get on with training now?"

Mapleshade's gaze softened. "How impressed was your mentor?" she soothed.

"Crazy impressed!" Ravenpaw beamed. "I already knew half the moves she tried to show me!"

"Ready to learn more?"

"I was born ready!"

Mapleshade stood up on her hind legs, curling her tail around her left hind leg, and slashing out at a tree hollowed with claw-marks with her front claws, then landing back on all fours, uncurling her tail.

"Let me try!" Ravenpaw meowed.

He stood up on his hind legs awkwardly, curling his tail around his left hind leg. Without any balance due to his curled tail, Ravenpaw fell to the floor.

"Why do I have to do that?" he asked.

"Because that way your enemy won't get your tail if they duck under you!" Mapleshade replied. "Now, try again."

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Ravenpaw blinked open his eyes to warm sunlight streaming onto all the apprentices. The soft grass against his pelt made him feel at home. He liked sleeping outside, especially next to Rosepaw.

Next to him, Rosepaw stirred, sitting up beside him.

"Too bad we can't go for a walk until we're warriors," she murmured. "They say apprentices can't go anywhere without a warrior supervising."

"I'm sure they wouldn't mind if we said we were going out to collect moss," Ravenpaw told her sleepily.

"Moss?" Rosepaw echoed. She purred with amusement. "Good luck finding some of that out here."

"Surely there's some at the Moonpool?" Ravenpaw queried.

Rosepaw shook her head.

"Only leaders and medicine cats can go there," she mewed. "Ashstar's orders."

Ravenpaw huffed.

"We can climb the top of the slope that shelters part of the camp," Ravenpaw told her gently.

Rosepaw shrugged. "I guess..." she mumbled.

"Race you!" cried Ravenpaw as he dashed up the tall slope.

Rosepaw smirked as she caught up with him easily.

"I'm WindClan," she reminded him. "I'm faster than you."

Ravenpaw rolled his eyes, straining to rush ahead of her, but Rosepaw had already made it to the top.

Ravenpaw purred loudly, pushing her to the ground and gently clamping his teeth on her neck.

"I killed you!" he hollered playfully.

Rosepaw grinned widely, pushing him off. Then she swung a sheathed paw at his face gently while dodging his next blow.

"You'd never win a battle with me!" she teased.

"I already killed you," taunted Ravenpaw.

"I wasn't ready!" Rosepaw protested.

"Doesn't matter!" Ravenpaw meowed. "A warrior is always prepared for anything!"

Rosepaw rolled her dark blue eyes, sitting beside Ravenpaw as together they gazed out at the milky-yellow dawn sky.

"I think we should go," mewed Ravenpaw after a while.

Rosepaw nodded, racing back down the slope, and Ravenpaw followed, feeling the wind buffet his fur.

As soon as they got down there, the rest of the camp began stirring awake.

"Ravenpaw." Gorsetail dipped her head as she padded up to her apprentice. "Ready for some new hunting and battle moves?"

Ravenpaw nodded eagerly, flexing his claws beneath him.

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Ravenpaw yawned, stretching his limbs as he curled up beside Rosepaw. He felt her shift in her sleep so they were both facing each other, their noses touching. With a content sigh, Ravenpaw drifted into sleep.

"I told you, a mate is going to distract you!" hissed Mapleshade.

Ravenpaw shuffled his paws beneath him.

"But," he protested. "Kits grow into warriors, and warriors help the Clan."

A soft growl rose in the back of Mapleshade's throat.

"Worry about mates _after _you become leader and fulfill your destiny!" she spat. She began to curl her lip, showing sharp, yellow teeth, but obviously thought better of it.

"I'm sorry, dear," she purred smoothly. "I just have a bad temper sometimes."

Ravenpaw nodded in reply.

"Anyway," Mapleshade circled him. "I've realized you have warmed up to nearly every cat in the Clan."

Ravenpaw huffed. "Every cat except Gingerpaw and Graypaw," he retorted bitterly.

"That's because they're jealous of you," Mapleshade soothed. "All cats are jealous of a cat in which is obvious has a great destiny ahead of them."

"I guess you're right," mewed Ravenpaw.

Mapleshade froze.

"What?" Ravenpaw asked, worry rising in him.

"Get down!" hissed Mapleshade.

Ravenpaw plunged into a thick patch of dark green leaves, dampened with misty dew. He watched as a mottled gray tom and a pale gray tabby tom padded up to Mapleshade.

"Where's your new pupil?" the pale gray tom asked Mapleshade.

"None of your business, Silverhawk," Mapleshade replied flatly.

"Tell us," hissed the mottled gray tom.

"Go away," spat Mapleshade.

"Make us," taunted Silverhawk.

Ravenpaw closed his eyes, willing sleep to come, and it did as it swept him away.

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"Ravenpaw," whispered Rosepaw. Ravenpaw stretched in the soft grass, yawning.

"Why are you covered in scratches?"

Ravenpaw looked down at his body and noticed scratches and scars as blood dripped out of them from his nighttime training with Mapleshade.

"Maybe a fox attacked me in my sleep," he joked. Rosepaw was not amused.

Suddenly a sharp pang in Ravenpaw's tail made him shudder. He looked down at it, and saw a long scar stretching across it from the end to the start.

"It'll fade away," he promised Rosepaw.

"One other thing," Rosepaw muttered uncomfortably, shifting her dark red paws beneath her. "I need to talk to you about it somewhere else."

Ravenpaw followed his mate to the top of the slope, where Rosepaw gazed forlornly at the brightening dawn sky, the wind buffeting her fur.

"What is it?" Ravenpaw inquired.

Rosepaw took a deep breath. "I'm expecting kits," she meowed unsteadily.

Ravenpaw let out a gasp.

"Kits?!" he gaped.

Rosepaw nodded. "I am truly expecting kits," she repeated.

Ravenpaw gazed down at her belly, which was partially swollen with kits, but just ever so slightly that you'd have to look very closely. So it was true. Rosepaw was expecting Ravenpaw's kits!


	7. Rosepaw's Love

**This is not similar to What is There to Do?. OK? Got that? GOT IT?!**

Chapter 6

"Kestrelflight is going to notice sooner or later," Ravenpaw told Rosepaw with worry. "What are we going to do about that?"

Rosepaw closed her eyes briefly, then reopened them as they flashed.

"I know!" she meowed.

"What?" asked Ravenpaw.

"Well," began Rosepaw. "I..." she trailed off as her night-blue eyes misted over. "No... that won't work at all," she muttered.

"Hopefully you'll be a warrior by then," Ravenpaw told her, running the tip of his tail along her spine.

Rosepaw huffed. "Yeah right," she retorted.

Ravenpaw sighed. "How will you carry on with your duties?" he wondered.

"StarClan knows," Rosepaw mumbled.

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"Today we'll be doing a team training session," announced Whiskernose. "Am I clear?"

The apprentices nodded respectfully.

"OK," mewed Whiskernose. "I'll be with Rosepaw, Stormpaw, Sedgewhisker, Ravenpaw and Gorsetail," he flicked his tail at the cats he'd chosen. "And Gingerpaw, Graypaw and Softpaw, you'll be with Furzepelt, Emberfoot and Leaftail."

"What's the goal?" Gingerpaw piped up.

"The goal?" echoed Whiskernose. "The goal is; each team must catch one rabbit. Then, they must guard that rabbit and make sure the other team doesn't steal it and place it beside their rabbit. If they do, then they win. The losing team gets elder duty."

"Even the warriors?" Emberfoot queried.

"Even the warriors," Whiskernose replied, a slight purr to his tone.

"Is there a leader?" Graypaw asked.

Whiskernose nodded. "Each team must vote on a leader," he meowed.

The two teams huddled up.

"I vote Whiskernose," mewed Sedgewhisker.

"Me too," Gorsetail decided.

"I guess he'd be the best choice," Stormpaw muttered.

"Right! It's settled then!" Rosepaw cheered.

"Majority rules!" Ravenpaw hollered excitedly.

The team crowded out.

"Emberfoot, who's the leader of your team?" Whiskernose called to the gray tom.

"I am!" Furzepelt meowed proudly.

"That's right!" jeered Graypaw. "Go FurzeClan!"

"That sounds _so _rabbit-brained!" taunted Stormpaw.

"Your face is rabbit-brained!" spat Gingerpaw.

"Well, WhiskerClan sounds _way _better!" Softpaw hissed.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Whiskernose hissed. "Let's just get on with it!"

Furzepelt nodded. "FurzeClan's going to be the first one to catch a rabbit!" she challenged.

"Nuh-uh!" Whiskernose meowed, racing away.

"C'mon!" Rosepaw meowed. "Let's follow him and catch a rabbit!"

Ravenpaw and the rest of 'WhiskerClan' raced after their leader. Ravenpaw parted his jaws to drink in the moorland scents. He spotted a meaty hare, unaware of WhiskerClan and him creeping up on it. Then, Stormpaw bolted after it, sending it bounding into Ravenpaw's paws. He trapped it, and the hare looked up, its blackberry eyes wide and round with fear as it shivered. Ravenpaw killed it with a swift bite to the neck, watching the light die from its beady eyes.

Stormpaw caught up to him, panting. "Nice catch," she commented.

Ravenpaw dipped his head, placing the hare at her paws.

Suddenly a screech of battle cry rippled through the air, and Graypaw came charging at them with great speed.

Ravenpaw exchanged an amused glance with Stormpaw. Quick as lightning, Stormpaw flicked her front leg out in front of Graypaw as he came bolting at the hare. Graypaw gasped as he stumbled over her outstretched paw, and crashed to the ground while Rosepaw and Ravenpaw swung sheathed blows at him with their front paws.

"The hare is gone!" yowled Gorsetail.

Ravenpaw turned his head to see Emberfoot racing away, their hare clamped in his jaws, as Stormpaw shot angrily after him.

Ravenpaw bounded after the she-cat, with speed almost fit enough for WindClan. He knocked Emberfoot down by pouncing on top of him, allowing enough of a distraction for Stormpaw to snatch the rabbit from his jaws, racing back to the rest of WhiskerClan.

Meanwhile, Ravenpaw dashed toward FurzeClan's rabbit, dodging several blows from Gingerpaw and Graypaw, who were determined to embarrass him. He snatched the rabbit up, and bolted as fast as he could back to his teammates. He felt a bony leg flash out under him, and he stumbled, rolling over with the rabbit grasped firmly in his jaws, feeling the itchy grass burn and scratch at his body. He dug his claws into the hard earth, feeling the burning sensation of them raking across thick soil and rogue stones. A sharp pain seared through one of them as he felt it bend severely.

Much to his relief, Stormpaw snatched the rabbit and flung it at their hare.

"WhiskerClan won!" cheered Gorsetail. Her gaze faltered once she saw Ravenpaw writhing on the ground, his left front paw clutching at his right front paw.

"Are you alright?" she asked her black-furred apprentice.

Ravenpaw nodded his head, standing up, only to collapse back onto the ground, showing Gorsetail his crooked claw.

"Ha!" teased Graypaw. "We should name you Crookedclaw now!"

Softpaw flashed her denmate a challenging look as Gingerpaw stood up tall beside her, glaring at his littermate.

"G-Gingerpaw?" stuttered Graypaw. "Why are you so defensive of Ravenpaw and Softpaw all of a sudden? Softpaw's as soft as a kittypet! And Crookedclaw-er, Ravenpaw- is so ugly looking!"

Sedgewhisker shot him a fierce glare as Graypaw shuffled his paws beneath him.

Distant barking from a little ways off became a series of loud growling as a tall brown dog came racing up to the gathered cats, its tongue lolling like a fat pink worm.

"Dog!" yelped Leaftail, running away in the direction of the camp.

Ravenpaw's heart fluttered like a trapped dove and he tried to get up, but fell back down as searing pain surged through his twisted claw.

"Ravenpaw!" Rosepaw came hurtling over toward the yapping dog, scoring her claws down its flank, sending flecks of crimson blood flying onto the rich green grass below. The dog let out a whimper, grabbing Rosepaw by the scruff and shaking her fiercely. Rosepaw flattened her ears to her head, twisting in the air and landing on her spine. She ignored the blood gushing out from her scruff and clamped her jaws firmly around the dog's neck. The dog howled with pain and rage, swerving his body from side to side in an effort to fling Rosepaw off. Rosepaw slid down the dog's throat, creating a long trail of scars and scratches as blood oozed out. The dog whimpered, and eventually managed to tear Rosepaw off of it, running away in terror. She trotted over to the gaping and shocked Ravenpaw.

"How-"

"Lean on me," Rosepaw snapped. Ravenpaw got up, and nearly fell down until Rosepaw flanked him, letting him lean against her shoulder as Stormpaw came racing up as well, balancing him.

"Let's get you back to camp," Stormpaw meowed with slight humor as Ravenpaw stumbled most of the way.

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Kestrelflight gave Ravenpaw a cracked brown stick, letting him bite down on it hard as he bent the claw back into place. Ravenpaw's eyes misted with pain.

"You're lucky Rosepaw was there to save your life," Kestrelflight murmured as he rubbed a poultice on Ravenpaw's bleeding paw.

"I'm lucky my claw wasn't worse and you were able to fix it," huffed Ravenpaw. "Thank you."

Kestrelflight only nodded.

"You'd best sleep in here tonight," the medicine cat told him. "So your claw can get better and your paw won't get infected more easily by the cold night breeze."

Ravenpaw nodded sleepily, feeling tiredness bring him to sleep.

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"You got her _pregnant_?!" spat Mapleshade as her claws scored a blow across Ravenpaw's face. "What have you done?! Have you forgotten your promise? Do you wish to suffer as I once did?! Is that what you want? Hmm?!"

Ravenpaw backed away, his eyes clouded with fear.

"StarClan cats aren't supposed to be this cruel," he muttered.

Mapleshade lashed out with her unsheathed paw.

"Then maybe you should learn some respect!" she hissed.

"Maybe I will!" Ravenpaw snapped.

Mapleshade muttered something Ravenpaw couldn't understand.

"Anyway," she hissed. "Let's learn some battle moves."

Ravenpaw nodded, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Try this," invited Mapleshade as she leaped in the air, claws unsheathed, and landed on top of Ravenpaw, her claws digging into his spine.

"Mrrow!" yowled Ravenpaw. "What was that for?!"

Mapleshade leaped off, grooming her fur.

"A useful battle move and a lesson," she replied smoothly.

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"She's been having pains," Kestrelflight mewed, his eyes flashing.

Ravenpaw nodded solemnly in reply.

"The kits will be coming soon, won't they?" Rosepaw mumbled.

"Yes, yes they will. It's a good thing you moved to the nursery," Kestrelflight told her as gently as he could.

"Ravenpaw, I'm scared," Rosepaw whispered.

"No need to be scared," Ravenpaw murmured back. "I'll protect you and our kits, even at the cost of my life." Suddenly Ravenpaw's promise rang in his ears, the one where he had a great destiny ahead of him. But that didn't matter at the moment. All that mattered right now was the safety of his mate and their unborn kits.

"Ravenpaw," Rosepaw muttered weakly.

"What?" Ravenpaw asked her, worry building up inside him.

"I think I'm sick."

Kestrelflight shook his head.

"It's just the pregnancy," he informed her soothingly. "Nothing to worry about."

Rosepaw gulped loudly, nodding her head slowly and shakily.

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Mapleshade paced through the forest, not believing that Ravenpaw had just had kits with Rosepaw. This was great yet terrible news. It was terrible because Ravenpaw might be so caught up with his kits that he'd forget all about his promise. The good news about it was that she'd kill his kits as well, making him suffer more, if she ever got the chance to kill them, that is. She'd wait for the right moment and then... SNAP! She'd snap their tiny necks! Or, make them suffer by ripping them apart, leaving them to die slowly and slowly, their life bleeding out into their nests with their unsuspecting mother... If she got the chance, that is.

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"It hurts! So! Badly! Kestrelflight, make it stop!" wailed Rosepaw.

"I'm afraid I can't stop labor," Kestrelflight told the queen-apprentice worriedly. She'd been kitting all morning, with a frightened Ravenpaw pacing outside of the nursery, hearing the screeches of pain coming from his mate.

"She'll be fine," Ashstar told Ravenpaw gently.

"Can you promise me that?" Ravenpaw demanded.

Ashstar stared at her paws.

"We can't _promise _anything," Crowfeather, the deputy, snapped. "And you should know better than having kits as an apprentice."

"It was an accident!" Ravenpaw protested.

"Ravenpaw?" It was Kestrelflight. His blue gaze was lit with worry. "Come in. There's cats you need to meet..."

Ravenpaw gulped, following Kestrelflight into the dusty, abandoned fox den. Soft mewling and a raspy purr lifted Ravenpaw's spirits up to StarClan with hope.

"Meet your new kits," Kestrelflight invited, the worry washed from his eyes.

Ravenpaw gazed down at his four kits, then at his mate. He nearly fainted when he saw Rosepaw breathing feebly beside her kits, her eyes just barely open.

"Name our kits..." she rasped, her eyes starting to close slowly.

"No..." whispered Ravenpaw. "No!"

"Hurry," Rosepaw croaked, the light fading from her eyes too quickly for Ravenpaw. She started coughing heavily, as three tiny bouts of coughs came from three of the four kits.

"This one Shadekit," his tail-tip touched the black tom-kit with light blue-gray flecks on its ears. "And this one..." he gazed down at the dark red she-kit, then back up at his mate. "This one Rosekit," he murmured. "For you, my love."

Rosepaw's eyes sparkled.

"This one..." he glanced at the dusky-white she-kit. "Duskkit... and you name the last one."

"I want this one to be named Frostkit," Rosepaw mewed meekly, placing her nose on the bright white she-kit with dark red ear-tips. The tiny kit mewled and squirmed beneath her mother's black nose. A final breath sent Ravenpaw wailing with grief as he buried his nose into Rosepaw's dark red fur. She was dead! His mate was dead!

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It was a quiet and sad night as Ravenpaw curled his body around his kits. He drifted into a peaceful sleep, and slept well that night without training with Mapleshade at all.

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"Ravenpaw? Time to get up," mewed Stormpaw gently.

"I can't leave my kits," Ravenpaw snapped back.

"Ravenpaw." Stormpaw's mew was urgent. "They're dead, Ravenpaw. They were incredibly sick."

"What?!" Ravenpaw gasped. "No!"

A tiny squeak interrupted his extra grief as a tiny white body stirred beneath him. Relief flooded his heart as he gazed down at his remaining kit.

"At least Frostkit's still alive," he murmured, drawing the young kit closer to him with the sweep of his plumy tail.

Frostkit's dark red ear-tips twitched as she mewled, her tiny squeak muffled by something that Ravenpaw didn't know where it was.

"She's truly adorable," Stormpaw meowed affectionately.

Suddenly the bright white she-kit blinked open her eyes in a flash, and they were a bright, bright blue as she gazed up curiously at her father and Stormpaw.

"Hello, my daughter," Ravenpaw whispered. "I'm Ravenpaw, your father."

The tiny kit mewled in response, her ears suddenly perked up as a hungry gleam flashed in her eyes, then quickly faded.

"ThunderClan!" yowled Ashstar. "ThunderClan is attacking!"

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Mapleshade's belly churned with satisfaction. Because of Ravenpaw's promise, Mapleshade was able to cast sickness upon Rosepaw and three of her kits. But something stopped her before she spread it to the fourth one, something sinister that she liked...

**I hope you enjoyed! Review!**

**Question: How many of you guys really liked Rosepaw before she died? How many of you hated her?**


	8. Ravenpaw's Shock

Chapter 7

Ravenpaw darted out in front of the nursery, hackles raised. No ThunderClan cat would be getting to Frostkit today.

Frostkit crept up behind him, peering out at the bloody battle without mewling a tiny mew.

"Stay back," he warned his remaining daughter. "I don't want you getting hurt or killed."

A light cream tom with a stubby tail leaped at Ravenpaw and dug his claws into his shoulders. Blood welled up, and Ravenpaw howled in pain, flinging him backward. The tom landed right in front of Frostkit.

"Get away from my daughter!" yowled Ravenpaw, lunging for the tom.

"You look awfully young to be having kits," teased the tom. Then, he let out a squeak of pain and whipped his head around to see Frostkit clinging to his back with her thorn-sharp claws as she bit down hard on his spine.

"Feisty little she-kit," the tom murmured, shaking Frostkit off easily. The small, white kit tumbled into the nursery and landed awkwardly. She began to cry as a small leak of blood dribbled out of her hind leg, which was twisted.

"Berrynose!" The cream-colored tom whipped his head around to come face-to-face with Bramblestar.

"We aren't here to hurt kits!" Bramblestar hissed.

Berrynose shuffled his paws beneath him.

"S-s-sorry, Bramblestar," he muttered.

Ravenpaw took his chance, and flung himself at the Clan leader.

"Mrrow!" yowled Bramblestar, slicing his claws down Ravenpaw's leg.

Ravenpaw snarled at him, clamping his teeth tight on Bramblestar's throat as the leader struggled beneath him. He released, leaving the leader gasping for breath.

A warm presence weaved around him as a fading figure looked him in the eye. Then, it was gone.

_Keep going! _Mapleshade whispered in his mind. _Kill him! Now's your chance!_

Ravenpaw tried to shake it away, but Mapleshade was right. If he killed Bramblestar, he'd make the rest of ThunderClan retreat. Besides, it wouldn't be breaking the Warrior Code since Bramblestar had nine lives, right? Right.

"This is for casting me out!" Ravenpaw screeched, falling on top of Bramblestar and slicing his throat open with his claws. Blood gushed out, and Bramblestar went limp as his eyes glazed over. Ravenpaw dug his claws deeper into his throat. He released, backing up with pride. Then he waited for Bramblestar to get up and call the word for ThunderClan to retreat. He waited while Berrynose and other ThunderClan warriors backed away from him. He waited for Bramblestar to awaken, and signal for his Clan to retreat. But it never came.

**Sorry if this chapter was rather short, I just had to do it!**


	9. A Faithful Decision

Chapter 8

The dreaded scent of death overwhelmed Ravenpaw.

"W-was he on his last life or something?" he stuttered.

"No," a ginger she-cat replied weakly. "You took all his nine lives away at once."

Horror rippled through Ravenpaw. He had killed Bramblestar! Rosepaw would be so disappointed in him as well as their three deceased kits.

"ThunderClan," whispered the ginger she-cat meekly. "R-retreat..."

ThunderClan somberly walked away from WindClan territory. Ravenpaw watched them go with shame until he could no longer see them.

_You did well, _Mapleshade murmured. _Don't worry if they're upset at you because you did the right thing, my dear apprentice._

Ravenpaw tried to block out the sounds of her voice, and tried to focus on the pool of blood where Bramblestar had been dragged away by the ginger she-cat. Then, he felt grief wash over him, so he looked away.

_They cast you out! _Mapleshade reminded him. _Don't feel bad, feel glad!_

_I can't... _murmured Ravenpaw.

"A few apprentices fought bravely today," Ashstar announced clearly as if nothing had happened. "So they will be going to the Gathering tonight!"

"But when will Squirrelflight receive her nine lives if the Gathering is tonight?" Crowfeather questioned.

"Probably right now," Ashstar meowed, pointing with her tail to the ginger she-cat and a white tom crossing the moor somberly.

The white tom seemed rather uncomfortable by the presence of the ginger she-cat, presumably Squirrelflight.

The sun was just starting to set slowly over the moor, its rouged surface spreading out across the fading blue sky like blood spilling out of Bramblestar.

"Who shall go to the Gathering?" asked Graypaw eagerly.

Ashstar cleared her throat.

"Graypaw, Gingerpaw, Stormpaw Softpaw and..." Ravenpaw's thoughts filled with hope. "Ravenpaw."

"What about the warriors?" demanded Boulderfur.

"Whitetail, Sunstrike, Swallowtail, Boulderfur and Emberfoot," Ashstar replied smoothly.

"That's it?" hissed Heathertail. Ashstar shot her a sharp glance.

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The soft gray moon was just starting to rise as Squirrelflight reached the Moonpool, Jayfeather at her side.

"Oh, no!" Squirrelflight gasped. "I still have to choose a deputy, receive my nine lives and get to the Gathering on time!"

"It's fine," spat Jayfeather. "You're going to be _fine_."

"Very well," Squirrelflight muttered. "If you say so."

She touched her nose gently to the Moonpool as darkness lapped her mind.

She appeared in a starry forest where cats that shined with frosty starlight rushed up to greet her.

A familiar black, furry shape with glinting green eyes and a star-touched pelt padded forward, touching noses with her.

"Hollyleaf!" gasped Squirrelflight. "It's been too long."

The black she-cat purred.

"With this life I give you cleverness," Hollyleaf murmured wisely. "Use it to choose the right path in your life and avoid mistakes."

A burning sensation surged through Squirrelflight in her neck, and she felt deep green eyes glaring at her as she tumbled into the lake.

Hollyleaf padded away slowly to be replaced by a dark brown tom.

"Bramblestar, my love!" meowed Squirrelflight with joy, rushing up to greet her mate.

"With this life," began Bramblestar. "I give you pride. Use it to not care what others dislike of you and stand up for yourself no matter who you may seem like."

Shame and sadness washed over Squirrelflight as she watched from an unfamiliar den as cats walked past her quickly and glared at her with disapproving eyes.

A flame-colored tom greeted her with his nose touched to hers.

"Firestar!" gaped Squirrelflight.

Firestar smiled at her, love and grief dominant in his bright green eyes.

"With this life I give you sympathy," he murmured. "Use it to care for those you love, especially when they're in danger."

Suddenly, Squirrelflight felt as though one thousand badgers had attacked her as she saw a blue-gray she-cat shivering in her den, muttering crazy talk.

Firestar padded away from his daughter with a warm smile, and a dark, gray-silver she-cat took his place.

"Hello, Feathertail!" Squirrelflight greeted her old friend. "I miss you too often."

"I miss you too," Feathertail told her with a purr, then her gaze deepened.

"With this life I give you courage," the pretty tabby meowed. "Use it to sacrifice yourself for those you love and defend your Clan at all costs."

Sheer pain seared down on Squirrelflight as she tumbled to the ground, sharp rocks and stones piercing her skin. She breathed a sigh of relief as it ebbed away.

Feathertail bounded away toward a silver she-cat that stood next to a tom with a twisted jaw.

An ash-gray tom padded over to Squirrelflight as she shifted around uncomfortably.

"Ashfur..." Squirrelflight mumbled. "How are you?"

**P.S. ASHXSQUIRREL ROCKS! GO ASHFUR X SQUIRRELFLIGHT!**

"With this life I give you caring," Ashfur murmured, touching noses with her. "Use it to love those you know all around you and care for the weak and injured."

A rush of love and pain filled Squirrelflight, nearly making her cry as she faced three, terrified young cats trapped in a blazing fire and another cat at her side.

Ashfur stepped aside to give way to a gray-and-white she-kit.

"My name is Mosskit," mewled the tiny kit as Squirrelflight bent down to touch noses with her.

"With this life I give you strength," Mosskit squeaked. "Use it to survive in even the harshest conditions."

Suddenly a freezing wind tumbled over Squirrelflight as she shivered in the cold, a burning sensation threatening to kill her.

Mosskit bounced away happily and content as a white she-cat stepped up to Squirrelflight.

"I am Snowfur," the white she-cat mewed with wisdom.

Squirrelflight dipped her head.

"With this life I give you a mother's love," she mewed. "Use it to care for your Clanmates... and your kits."

Squirrelflight felt a rush of love and yet pain as a white tom-kit tumbled over her paws, then the wave of pain struck as a Monster ran her over with its hard, black paws.

Snowfur padded calmly away as a tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat bounded up to her with a happy smile.

"Sorreltail!" exclaimed Squirrelflight. "I'm so glad to see you!"

"With this life I give you patience," Sorreltail murmured. "Use it well to guide your Clanmates in times of need and last through the most painful moments, always hoping."

A dark flash of electric pain surged from Squirrelflight's paws and up to her head as two kits and a tom crouched over her, worry in their eyes as blood frothed around her paws.

Then it was gone.

Sorreltail padded slowly away to be replaced by a furry, silver-and-white she-cat with darker stripes.

"Hello, young one," the she-cat murmured. "My name is Moonflower and I am Bluestar and Snowfur's mother."

Squirrelflight had heard of Bluestar, the great leader that went crazy before her father, Firestar, took over.

"With this life I give you loyalty," she whispered. "Use it to always be there for your Clanmates and support them with your life."

As Moonflower touched noses with her, Squirrelflight was surprised to feel love wash over her instead of pain as she saw it darkening over her as two apprentices mournfully crouched over her.

The StarClan cats lifted their heads up and called to the night sky.

"Squirrelstar! Squirrelstar! Squirrelstar!"

Squirrelstar felt pride sweep over her as she glanced at Jayfeather, who for once, was actually smiling.

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"Why is ThunderClan so late?" complained Stormpaw as she settled down beside Ravenpaw. "We need to hurry up so I can go home. The greenleaf nights are always hot. Especially since there are so many cats crowding around."

Ravenpaw rolled his slightly mismatched eyes. Stormpaw complained about the slightest things.

Suddenly a rotten stench filled Ravenpaw's nostrils as ThunderClan raced in. He had gotten so used to the WindClan scent that all the other Clans smelled like rotten crow-food.

The Clan cats gasped as they saw Squirrelflight, probably Squirrelstar now, pad up and leap up onto the lowest branch of the Great Oak where all the other leaders sat.

"What happened to Bramblestar?" questioned one cat.

"He's dead," replied a dark brown tabby tom.

"How?"

"None of your business," snapped Berrynose, the one who had hurt Frostkit.

"Anyway," Squirrelstar yowled. "I am Squirrelstar of ThunderClan and Bramblestar is dead. Lionblaze is the new deputy."

"Squirrelstar! Lionblaze! Squirrelstar! Lionblaze!" cheered the Clans.

It was all a murmur as the leaders went on talking. A chilly breeze swept some leaves from the trees and onto the Clan cats.

"Leaf-fall is approaching," murmured Stormpaw as she huddled up beside Ravenpaw, shivering.

There was something about her being so close to him that made him feel funny. Strange.

As the talk came to an end, a harsh wind roared over as dark storm clouds gathered at the sky.

"WindClan, time to go back to camp!" Ashstar called, beckoning with her tail.

When they got there, Ravenpaw decided it was too cold to sleep outside. But, the other apprentices thought it was warm enough, as they huddled up together in a small pile of fur. Stormpaw stood up, and walked over toward Ravenpaw, her dark blue eyes glittering in the soft moonlight.

"Mind if I share a den with you?" she asked nervously, shuffling her paws. "It's awfully chilly outside."

"Sure..." Ravenpaw invited, crawling into a middle-sized, abandoned fox den as Stormpaw curled up beside him. There were two nests, surprisingly.

"So, who's taking care of Frostkit?" mumbled Stormpaw sleepily.

"Gorsetail," mewed Ravenpaw. "She's expecting Harespring's kits."

"But what about the milk?" Stormpaw sounded rather worried.

"She has some, shockingly, but Kestrelflight's been feeding her borage," Ravenpaw replied.

"I see," Stormpaw muttered drowsily.

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"Congratulations!" beamed Mapleshade as she circled Ravenpaw proudly.

"You've killed Bramblestar!"

Ravenpaw tried to smile, but it was weak as he still felt quite guilty about killing his former leader, even though he cast him aside.

After a long night of training with Mapleshade, Ravenpaw awoke to the chirping of small birds and sunshine pouring in through the den. He scented fear.

"Stormpaw, wake up!" Ravenpaw urged his friend.

Stormpaw scented it too, as she bolted out of the den, Ravenpaw following her.

The smell led them to the nursery where Gorsetail was gasping for breath, Frostkit at her side.

"What's wrong with her, Ravenpaw?" Frostkit asked.

"The kits!" Gorsetail gasped. "They're coming!"

"That's impossible!" Stormpaw breathed, though she sounded worried as well. "You're belly isn't that swollen yet!"

"It's only as round as half the moon!" Ravenpaw agreed.

"They're coming alright," Kestrelflight meowed sternly. "I think it had something to do with Frostkit nursing on her."

"I didn't do anything!" Frostkit protested.

"Oh, Frostkit," soothed Gorsetail. "It isn't your fault." She nuzzled her foster-daughter gently.

"Right, it isn't," mewed Weaselfur, Ravenpaw's new mentor.

Frostkit still looked rather guilty.

Suddenly Gorsetail caterwauled in pain as a tiny head poked out, mewling. Then it slid out onto the floor, not moving except for its small breaths.

Kestrelflight began licking the small kit, trying to warm it up and get it moving, but the kit gave one feeble mewl, lifting its head up, then collapsed to the ground.

"He's dead!" wailed Gorsetail as a smaller kit flopped out beside her, then another.

"Get out," Kestrelflight snapped to all the other cats.

A few minutes later, Kestrelflight emerged with a solemn look on his face.

"One survived," he announced.

"_Survived_?" hissed Harespring.

"Go inside and meet your... your son," Kestrelflight mewed weakly.

Ravenpaw followed, checking on Frostkit.

A small, brown-and-cream tom kit suckled at his mother's belly as three other kits lay dead on the floor.

"Can I drink?" asked Frostkit. Gorsetail gave no reply.

"She's very weak," Kestrelflight meowed as he padded in. "And Frostkit, I think you should start eating live prey now. The tom-kit will need as much milk as he can get."

"Fine," huffed Frostkit.

"What's his name?" asked Ravenpaw.

"Lionkit," meowed Harespring proudly. "To give him the strength of a lion so he can survive."

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Ravenpaw scented the air. He smelled rabbit. He saw a small, white, furry body crouching low in a small, thorny bush. It crept out, oblivious of Ravenpaw as it looked for food.

Ravenpaw stalked it slowly, slowly, then at the right moment, he pounced! He killed it with a swift bite to the neck and could feel the green gaze of his mentor burning into him as he completed his assessment, a proud pile of hares and rabbits stacked up beside Ravenpaw.

"Good job," commented Weaselfur as he padded out to stand beside his apprentice.

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"Ravenpaw," meowed Ashfur. "Your skill and courage gives me the right to name you Ravenwing."

"Ravenwing! Ravenwing!"

Ravenwing stood proudly beside Stormfrost, Gingerfur, Grayflight and Softbreeze.

He then looked at the ground somberly.

"What's wrong?" Stormfrost soothed.

"Rosepaw should be here," Ravenwing murmured.

Stormfrost sighed. "I miss my sister," she muttered.

Ravenwing slipped off into a daze about his former mate, but then snapped right back out of it.

"It's nice to finally be a warrior," he heard Gingerfur murmur to Softbreeze.

Softbreeze giggled slightly, entwining their tails together.

"Right," she mewed to Gingerfur. "Now that we're warriors, no more elder duty, but there are also more opportunities..."

"You don't have to talk about that in front of every other cat, you know," Grayflight hissed.

"Yeah, that's just gross when you talk about it," Stormfrost meowed.

"Soon the nursery will be filled with kits," Ravenwing huffed.

Stormfrost looked at the ground.

"What?" Ravenwing asked his best friend with worry. "Was it something I said?"

Stormfrost shook her head.

"No, no..." she trailed off as Crowfeather approached.

"Congratulations," the deputy meowed.

Ravenwing dipped his head.

"Ravenwing?" Stormfrost sounded urgent. "Can I talk to you? In... in private."

"Sure!" Ravenwing chimed.

Crowfeather gave him a wink. Ravenwing just rolled his eyes.

"I've... I've always had secret feelings for you," Stormfrost confessed as they settled down in their den. "And when Rosepaw got to you first, I kind of took it out on you and began to ignore you."

Ravenwing gulped.

"This doesn't change our friendship, does it?" Stormfrost looked up.

"No, not at all," Ravenwing soothed. "In fact, it boosts it."


	10. Just a Dream

Chapter 9

"I thought my training would be over," Ravenwing meowed.

"Training is never over until you are leader," Mapleshade snapped back.

Ravenwing trained with his StarClan mentor until his limbs ached and he awoke back into reality.

Stormfrost stirred beside him, her golden fur glowing slightly in the flowing gold of sunlight.

Ravenwing purred slightly, resting his muzzle on the top of her head.

"Time to get up," he mewed gently.

Stormfrost huffed, turning over on her side.

"Fine, suit yourself," Ravenwing whispered softly as he padded outside.

"Crowfeather!" wailed Nightcloud and Ashstar in sync.

Around him, mournful cats gathered in the center of camp, looks of solemnity on their faces.

"What's going on?" he demanded.

It had been about or six moons since he'd been made a warrior.

Frostkit, now Frostpaw, stood calmly beside Nightcloud. Ravenwing tried to look closer at her, but her face was expressionless as she stared down at Crowfeather.

He padded over toward his kit and apprentice.

"Aren't you sad?" he asked her. Frostpaw did not respond.

"Are you?" Ravenwing repeated.

"I am deeply sad for the dreaded death of our beloved deputy, Crowfeather," Frostpaw murmured, her voice expressionless. "But I show no emotion for grieving will not change the fact that a loved one has died."

"Frostpaw is so cool!" Lionkit squeaked as he jumped up and down in front of his former denmate. "She teaches me battle moves sometimes!"

Lionkit did not understand why Crowfeather's death was sad, Ravenwing noted.

Lionkit pounced on Frostpaw's back, who stumbled with the extra weight.

"Get off me!" grunted Frostpaw as she shook herself, sending Lionkit flying into Ravenwing.

"Today's my Apprentice Ceremony!" Lionkit squealed.

"It is time for me to name the new deputy!" announced Ashstar.

"Ravenwing," she meowed. "You came here afraid but proved to be a great and worthy warrior. For that, I make you deputy of WindClan.

"Ravenwing! Ravenwing!" cheered the Clan, Stormfrost's yowl the loudest of all. Frostpaw joined in, but hers was quiet.

Ravenwing dipped his head proudly.

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"Rosepaw!" gasped Ravenwing as his former mate padded toward him with a warm smile.

"I hope you're not mad at Stormfrost..." he trailed off.

"Why would I be?" Rosepaw meowed with a purr. "She made you happy. That's all I ever wanted for you and Frostpaw. Was to be happy."

Ravenwing brushed muzzles with her.

"But," Rosepaw warned. Ravenwing froze.

"The raven's wing is oh so strong, but when bitten by the fang of frost it falls to the ground."

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Lionpaw and Frostpaw shared a fat rabbit as Stormfrost and Ravenwing's kits bounced up and down with delight.

"Frostpaw and Lionpaw are becoming warriors today!" chanted Leopardkit.

"We still don't know who killed Crowfeather," murmured Stormfrost.

After Frostpaw had become Frostfang and Lionpaw Lionclaw, Frostfang had wandered off in search of prey.

Later, though, horror struck the heart of WindClan as Frostfang returned with the dead body of Ashstar, tears in her eyes.

"Ashstar is-"

"Ravenwing, wake up!" Stormfrost interrupted.

"But I am awake," Ravenwing pointed out.

"Silly toms," huffed Stormfrost as Ravenwing blinked open his eyes to find his mate standing over him. "What were you dreaming about?"

"Ashstar was dead," Ravenwing mumbled.

"That won't happen for a while," Stormfrost purred.

Ravenwing wasn't quite sure about that, but he nodded slowly.

"Is it morning already?" he questioned, feeling sleep try to reclaim him.

"Not yet," Stormfrost meowed. "But I just wanted to tell you that... I'm expecting kits."

**I know, I know, "so many kits! What is wrong with you, Burrfrost?!" It's just that... anyway, back to the story!**

"Great!" Ravenwing mewed drowsily as he slipped back into sleep.

**Sorry if this chapter was short...**

**Question Time!**

**1. Finding the Culprit**

_**Who do you think killed Crowfeather?**_

**2. Kitting**

_**What do you think the kits should be named?**_

**Reveal:**

**I am accepting OC submissions for the names of Ravenwing and Stormfrost's kits! Don't forget to add in their warrior names!**


	11. The Truth About Crowfeather's Death

Chapter 10

**I've decided that I am going to take one of everyone's submitted OC's for Stormfrost and Ravenwing's kits.**

**Hawkkit- RollingUpHigh**

**Ashkit- Alleykat29**

**Mosskit- quatre-vingt-dix-huit**

**Redkit- Blazeheart (guest)**

**Mistkit- Willowsmoke of ShadowClan**

**Anyway, on with the story! Thank you to my followers and reviewers!**

Ravenwing blinked open his eyes to find Mapleshade scowling at him.

"What is wrong with you?!" she hissed. "You had kits with Rosepaw and you said you wouldn't do it again, and here's Stormfrost carrying your kits!"

"I-I'm sorry..." mumbled Ravenwing, backing away slowly.

"'Sorry' catches no prey!" spat Mapleshade, raking her claws along his tail.

"Mrrow!" screeched Ravenwing as blood began to flow out of the gash in his tail quickly.

"I challenge you to a battle!" Mapleshade yowled at him.

"As my punishment?" Ravenwing gasped.

Mapleshade smiled sweetly.

"Of course not," she cooed, her voice as silky as a cobweb and as smooth as a wet leaf. "It's your assessment."

"But I'm already a warrior!" protested Ravenwing.

"Down there you are," Mapleshade meowed. "But up here you're still my apprentice."

Glittering eyes sparkled from the lush undergrowth and thick ferns as dark shapes emerged from them. Cats. Probably StarClan cats like Mapleshade.

"They are here to watch," meowed Mapleshade smoothly.

Then, without warning, she lunged for Ravenwing's throat, but he quickly dodged out of the way.

"If you beat me then you will be leader before you know it!" Mapleshade informed him loudly.

Ravenwing flattened his ears as his eyes darkened. He took cautious steps forward toward his StarClan mentor. They circled each other, ears flat, lips drawn back in a full snarl, a soft growl in the back of their throats.

Ravenwing lunged for her chest as his teeth sliced through it, sending blood flying everywhere as it trickled out quickly and in large streams.

Mapleshade's legs gave way beneath her as she fell to the ground, shivering.

"I win," Ravenwing stated flatly. "My training is over."

He turned his back and began to walk away.

Silverhawk came over to congratulate him.

"You are welcome to spend time with us any time you like," the silver-gray tabby meowed. "Perhaps you could even get your own apprentice here."

"That would be swell," Ravenwing meowed calmly. "But aren't you going to help Mapleshade?"

"I'm fine," the orange-and-white she-cat mewed smoothly.

Ravenwing turned around and saw that the gash on her chest was gone. No blood remained in sight.

Ravenwing didn't question the tabby she-cat and instead dipped his head to her.

"I-I see," he uttered, baffled.

"Stay with us for a while," Thistleclaw invited with a smile.

"We can practice our battle moves for a while."

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"Ravenwing?" Stormfrost sounded worried.

"What?" Ravenwing mewed, feeling his stomach growl like thunder.

"You've been asleep for a moon!" Stormfrost replied.

"Why didn't you wake me?" Ravenwing hissed, getting up, but then recoiled as pain struck his belly.

"We couldn't!" wailed Stormfrost, brushing her muzzle against his. "We'd tried everything, but nothing seemed to work!"

Her tail entwined with his. "I thought I'd lost you..."

"You could lose my body," meowed Ravenwing bravely. "But never my soul. Because breath for breath, Stormfrost, I will _always _be with you."

Her belly had swelled to four times its size since Ravenwing had last seen his mate.

"The kits will be on their way any day now," Stormfrost murmured.

Ravenwing gazed outside of the narrow den and studied the gentle slope of the hill that shaded a quarter of the WindClan camp. He looked at the thick, tall, sunlit, evergreen grass that covered the camp and the stretching moor. Dark gray stones clustered in several spaces in in the camp, slightly frosty with the early leaf-fall morning. The gentle slope of the grassy hill shaded them well, except for the few that had the warm morning sun melting the leaf-fall frost off of them. Bright red and dark green leaves blew from the forest and into the camp. Several small, dark green bushes dotted the vast landscape, their prickly leaves bristling and some carrying small, round, blood-red berries on the tiny, thin branches that barely poked out from their lush green centers.

"The moor is quite beautiful," Stormfrost mumbled after a long moment of silence.

Cats began to poke their heads out of the dens that surrounded camp, some of them rousing from a cold night of sleeping outside. Relief filled their eyes as they saw Ravenwing peer out from Stormfrost and Ravenwing's den.

Frostpaw walked slowly over to him.

"Ashstar has been seeing to my training while you were asleep all this time," she mewed flatly, no emotion in her quiet, low voice. "Lionpaw is worried for you... or has been until now."

Lionpaw bounded up beside Frostpaw.

"Ashstar says that you're going to assess us!" Lionpaw squeaked.

"Just me?" Ravenwing inquired.

"No," Frostpaw mewed softly. "Just you and Whiskernose, our mentors."

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Ravenwing watched his apprentice and daughter intently as she chased after a rabbit. The pure white fur on her sleek pelt shone in the sunlight as her dark red ear-tips twitched at random points in time.

Her emotion was a mixture of determination and hunger. Mostly, her expression was as blank as untouched snow all the time.

Frostpaw's blue eyes twinkled in the afternoon leaf-fall light as her claws dug into the rabbit's neck. The rabbit dropped dead in an instant.

_She's really powerful, _Ravenwing thought as Frostpaw sliced her claws at a swooping hawk, killing it instantly. _Scary powerful..._

Later in the day, Ashstar called a ceremony for the naming of Frostpaw and Lionpaw.

"I hearby name you Frostfang because of your strong fighting skills," Ashstar announced.

Instead of beaming and squealing, Frostfang walked off calmly, taking a seat beside Owlwhisker.

"Lionpaw, come forth," Ashstar beckoned as the brown-and-cream apprentice bounced over to his leader.

"I hearby name you Lionclaw," Ashstar stated loud and clearly, "Because of your bravery in battle."

"Lionclaw! Frostfang! Lionclaw! Frostfang!" cheered WindClan below the highest stone in the Clan.

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Ravenwing led his patrol across the border of ThunderClan and WindClan.

"So, I hear you're the deputy of WindClan," mewed Dovewing as a patrol of ThunderClan cats followed her.

Ravenwing bit back a stinging retort to his mother.

"I'm proud of you, Son," Bumblestripe meowed.

"What?" hissed Ravenwing.

"Me too," Dovewing muttered. "I'm sorry we doubted you in the first place."

"Oh, look, it's the Clan who abandoned Ravenwing!" Grayflight spat.

"Shut up, you crow-food eaters!" spat Thornclaw.

Softbreeze arched her back, her ears flat.

"If you want a fight, we'll give you a good one!" the she-cat hissed.

"Stop it. Now," ordered Ravenwing flatly.

"They're asking for it," Frostfang snarled. This was the first time Ravenwing had ever seen her angry.

Without an order, Frostfang lunged for a fluffy ginger she-cat, whose eyes stretched wide but she had no time to dodge away. Frostfang dug her claws into the she-cat's shoulders as blood started gushing out of the thick gashes that Frostfang's claws had left.

"Cherrytuft!" yowled a brown-and-cream tom.

Ravenwing remembered these two as apprentices; Cherrypaw and Molepaw, who had apparently grown into fine young warriors.

"Help me, Moledust!" wailed Cherrytuft as her hind paws pummeled at Frostfang's belly, but to no avail.

"Frostfang!" hissed Ravenwing, slashing a sheathed paw at his daughter's spine. "Stop it this instant!"

Frostfang paid no attention to the deputy's orders and sank her teeth into Cherrytuft's neck.

"No!" screeched Berrynose, lunging for Frostfang.

Frostfang looked up from her killing bite and swiped a paw at Berrynose, sending him flying away and crashing into a tree.

Ravenwing was shocked at his daughter's incredible strength.

The frosty glare of the afternoon sunlight made the blood on Frostfang's teeth glow bright red as she dug her teeth back into Cherrytuft's throat.

Ravenwing had no choice. He flung himself at Frostfang, sending her tumbling away with a massive force.

He glanced down worriedly at Cherrytuft, whose amber eyes were beginning to glaze over.

"Get Jayfeather!" he cried.

Suddenly the cat Ravenwing had once known as Amberkit bounded over to the wounded Cherrytuft. Her gray fur shadowed Cherrytuft like a fading leaf-bare dusk.

"What can you do, Amberflower?" Leafpool asked with worry.

"There's nothing I can do," the gray she-cat replied solemnly. "She's gone."

Poppyfrost tipped back her head and let out a caterwaul of grief as she buried her nose in her dead kit's fur, Berrynose and Moledust joining in.

"I'm so sorry-" Ravenwing began.

"Just shut up and go away," snapped Dovewing bitterly. "I knew I should never have let myself be proud of a monster like you."

"But it was my daughter-"

"_You _had kits with a she-cat?" Dovewing wheezed. "How could a she-cat love someone as ugly as you?"

"No wonder that cat is a monster," Thornclaw spat at him coldly. "You're her father."

"Her mother died before she even knew her!" snapped Softbreeze, standing tall beside Ravenwing. "It isn't Frostfang's fault that she feels abandoned. Especially since Gorsetail was weak and couldn't give her or her own kits much attention when she was a queen! So shut your mouths!"

"Bumblestripe," Dovewing hissed to her mate. "Show these murderers off."

Bumblestripe stood in front of Ravenwing, facing Dovewing with a harsh glare in his eyes.

"No," he stated flatly. "All these moons I've watched you hate out kit and talk about him like he's a bad omen!"

"He _is _a bad omen!" Dovewing snapped tartly.

"What is wrong with you?" mewed Bumblestripe urgently. "You used to be so kind and gentle. Even to Ravenwing when he hadn't opened his eyes!"

Dovewing whipped her head around harshly.

"If you're still going to treat Ravenwing like this, then we are no longer mates," Bumblestripe meowed coldly. "I will never share a piece of fresh-kill or a nest with you ever again."

"So be it," Dovewing huffed.

"Wait!" cried Ravenwing. "Please don't argue over me! I'm gone now, you can think whatever you want of me and I won't care!"

"Oh please," Dovewing muttered cruelly. "Don't get like that, ugly thing, Bumblestripe and I are through."

"What do you think Mintkit thinks from StarClan?" Bumblestripe hissed.

Dovewing cringed.

"Is this why you treat Ravenwing like this? Is this why you favor Milkfeather and Marigoldwhisker over Ravenwing?"

Dovewing burst into tears as she bolted away, back into the forest.

"Let's go," meowed Ravenwing sternly, dipping his head to his father and then to Cherrytuft's dead body.

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"Stormfrost gave birth to the kits without you," meowed Ashstar as the patrol approached the WindClan camp.

"And Frostfang killed Cherrytuft, a ThunderClan warrior," Ravenwing muttered darkly as he entered the nursery to find Stormfrost with five tiny kits crowded at her belly, suckling.

"I saved the naming until you got here," Stormfrost meowed gently.

Ravenwing pointed his tail to the silver-gray she-kit.

"Mistkit?" he suggested gingerly.

"Yes, and the dark red she-kit, Redkit," Stormfrost meowed. "And the pure black she-kit, Mosskit."

"Let's name the dark red tom-kit Hawkkit," meowed Ravenwing softly. "And... and the ash-gray she-kit... Ashkit."

"Ashstar also lost a life defending these kits from a badger," Stormfrost mewed quickly. "And so did I. I mean, I didn't lose a life, obviously, but I fought to defend these very kits."

She paused to lick the blood off her forepaw.

Ravenwing knew that his leader had seven lives left; she'd told him. One from a ShadowClan warrior and another from the recent badger attack.

"Apparently the badger had come to reclaim her den," Stormfrost meowed. "Which was this one."

"They're great kits, and I'm proud of you," mewed Ravenwing, quicky rasping his tongue over his mate's head. "You... you and Rosepaw... you two are so very special to me... and so is Frostfang and these kits."

"I heard Frostfang killed Cherrytuft," Stormfrost murmured softly. "She could be the cat who killed Crowfeather. Be reasonable, Ravenwing, it's most likely that she's the one."

"Don't you _ever _say that!" Ravenwing hissed, ignoring the shock in Stormfrost's dark blue eyes. "You're just jealous that Rosepaw got to me first and had the best kits ever before you did! Rosekit, Frostfang, Shadekit, Rosepaw and Duskkit are the loves of my life!"

Stormfrost squeezed her eyes shut, whimpering and burying her face in her kits' fur.

"I'm sorry..." Ravenwing began, feeling his eyes mist over. "I should have died along with Mintkit like Dovewing said..."

"Don't you _ever _say that," Stormfrost snapped, her eyes wet with small tears. "I'll always love you no matter _what _you say, or _what _you do. You are the love of _my _life, along with these kits."

Ravenwing liked Stormfrost's bravery and determination. It made her who she was.

"This is my destiny," Ravenwing murmured. "You are my destiny."

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During the past seven moons, Ashstar had lost two lives, one to greencough and another to a murder that no cat knew who commited. They all suspected that it was the same cat who had killed Crowfeather, but no one knew for sure.

Mistpaw and Hawkpaw paced around their mentors, Gingerfur and Grayflight.

"Grayflight, can I learn some new battle moves?" squeaked Mistpaw to her mentor.

"She means _us_, Gingerfur," Hawkpaw corrected, his molten orange eyes glistening in the newleaf sun.

"Softbreeze, take Gorsetail, Hawkpaw, Gingerfur and Lionclaw out on a patrol," Ravenwing ordered.

"Hunting or borders?" Softbreeze questioned.

"Borders," Ravenwing replied.

Softbreeze nodded, rushing out of camp with the chosen warriors streaming behind her.

"But _I _want to go on patrol _too_!" wailed Mistpaw, stomping her foot on the ground.

"Maybe Ashstar will let you go to the Gathering tonight," Ravenwing informed her, purring with amusement as his daughter's eyes lit up. "If you're good and go Webfoot and Owlwhisker for ticks."

"I can do that!" chimed Mistpaw.

Ravenwing caught Redpaw peeking in Kestrelflight's den again.

"If you're that curious, go and learn some remedies," he invited as Redpaw jumped with shock.

"Yeah, every other apprentice says I can't hunt or fight," Redpaw mewed sadly. "And it's true. But, I've always wanted to heal other cats! I know a lot of recipes from watching Kestrelflight. Marigold for infections, alder bark for damaged eyes..."

Ravenwing left Redpaw listing remedies as Kestrelflight padded out, listening to the chattering apprentice, a smile on his face.

Ravenwing thought that maybe Redpaw would grow up to be a medicine cat. If she could handle the big responsibility, that is.

"Ravenwing," Ashstar interrupted hs thoughts.

"Yes?" Ravenwing meowed.

"I have a special mission for you," Ashstar replied smoothly.

"What is it?" Ravenwing was becoming quite curious.

Ashstar beckoned with her tail for Ravenwing to follow her into the Leader's Den.

Ravenwing sat down beside Ashstar, who took a deep breath.

"Listen," she informed him. "ThunderClan has been acting very odd, lately. Remember the time when Berrynose stirred up a battle last Gathering?"

Ravenwing nodded his head. "But Berrynose is always causing trouble."

Ashstar purred slightly, but caught herself, stiffening.

"I've received a baffling prophecy," she reported. "And I think the wisest choice is to share it with my deputy. I've already told Kestrelflight, and he doesn't understand it, either."

"What makes you think I can?" Ravenwing queried.

"I'm just seeing if you'll understand it," Ashstar stated calmly. "The shade of the tall tree will return, leaving frosty blood in its path as revenge it does yearn."

"That is quite confusing," Ravenwing meowed, baffled out of his mind.

"Yes, it is," Ashstar told him. "That's why I'm asking you to travel to the mountains and visit this... this some sort of... of _Tribe_. Tribe of Running Shadows? Tribe of Rushing River? I don't remember. StarClan told me that someone needed to go there, though."

"If it will help my Clan, then I'll gladly go," Ravenwing meowed bravely.

"Good," mewed Ashstar. "Because you and three other cats of your choice leave tomorrow at dawn."

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**Get ready for the reveal on who killed Crowfeather!**

The forest was dark and silent as the she-cat smiled to herself, knowing that she had made that tom deputy by killing Crowfeather.

She'd made Ravenwing deputy, just like she'd promised.

Just like Mapleshade had promised.

**Aha! I bet you guys that you weren't expecting that, now, were you? I bet that most of you thought it was Frostfang considering all the reviews telling me that she did it! And like, a quarter of you thought it was Stormfrost! Probably because a lot of you prefer RosexRaven... Anyway, I'm surprised that one of you thought it was Mapleshade! Great guessing!**

**Anyway, tell me, you guys, how many of you prefer RosexRaven over StormxRaven? Please tell me in your review! (If you leave one!) (-:**


	12. The Return

**This whole entire chapter is put in Mapleshade's point of view instead of Ravenwing's, but don't worry, I'll show his point of view in the next chapter! There will also be a lot of revealing in this chapter as well. Enjoy!**

Chapter 11

Mapleshade dipped her head to Frostfang, who grinned back in return.

"Thanks for giving me fighting advice," Frostfang sneered. "I needed it to be able to kill Cherrytuft and take one of Ashstar's lives. You also did well with killing Crowfeather."

Mapleshade purred. "Thank you."

"I do hope you'll continue training me in the ways of killing," Frostfang meowed grimly, swiping her tongue over her jaws. "It satisfies my hunger for watching others suffer."

"I can make you leader," Mapleshade reminded Frostfang.

"But what about my father?" Frostfang meowed. "You promised him that as well."

"Indeed I did," Mapleshade cooed. "But I didn't say you had to be leader of WindClan."

Frostfang's mouth curved into a grim smile. "Which Clan do you have in mind?"

Mapleshade circled her.

"Perhaps ShadowClan," she mewed. "Like the famous Tigerstar. What a great warrior he was. Sadly, Firestar killed his spirit."

"Firestar," spat Frostfang. "I wish that cat had never been born!"

Mapleshade grinned widely inside her head. She'd cursed Ravenwing's kit instead of making her die like the others. She'd sensed an overly aggressive side to the young kit, so she'd cursed her with hunger, crazy ambition, evilness and cleverness. She wouldn't call it pure evil, just overly aggressive so much that she'd kill to make others fear her and gain power. Mapleshade would use Frostfang to get her revenge.

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"Are you _sure _this is going to work, Thistleclaw?" Mapleshade demanded.

"I want my apprentice back," Thistleclaw snapped.

The ruffled tom stared into the Shadowpool, seeing the vague face of Tigerstar, whose amber eyes stared back at him with an unreadable expression.

"I am here to bring your spirit back," Thistleclaw whispered.

Mapleshade sat next to him, suppressing a _mrrow _of amusement.

Frostfang took a seat next to Breezepelt, who had died when Heathertail had stumbled across him, accidentally killing her former mate who had been the father of Gingerfur and Grayflight.

"Whose spirit have you brought to give to Tigerstar?" Silverhawk queried.

Thistleclaw motioned with his head over to Darkstripe, who had pinned a struggling Leafpool to the ground.

"This," Darkstripe meowed smugly, "Is Leafpool, Firestar's beloved daughter. If we give her spirit to Tigerstar, then she won't go to StarClan, and Tigerstar will come back to the forest. Not the Dark Forest, but the Lake Territories."

"So he'll reek havoc there?" Frostfang inquired.

"Yes," Mapleshade answered. "He'll take over the Clans and we'll put them in a time of pain and misery!"

"Please," begged Leafpool. "Let me go. I'll do anything!"

"Shall we sacrifice your father's spirit instead?" Silverhawk spat.

"No!" Leafpool's eyes flashed. "Don't hurt anyone else... I guess you can take my life."

"Firestar will be sobbing for moons knowing that since Leafpool's spirit is gone, she can't join him in StarClan!" jeered Thistleclaw.

"In the name of StarClan, stop right there!" A pelt as black as the night itself darted over to Darkstripe, knocking him off his paws. The warrior's leaf-green eyes glistened with the dim light of the small, silver moon as she helped Leafpool get to her paws.

"My daughter..." Leafpool mewed softly. "I've missed you, Hollyleaf."

"Well, it's time to get you out of here," Hollyleaf meowed bravely.

"Frostfang!" hissed Mapleshade to her apprentice. "You know what to do."

Frostfang shot a sharp glance at Mapleshade. "But then Leafpool will tell everyone that I'm part of here!"

Mapleshade groaned in annoyance, lunging for Hollyleaf, her eyes flaring.

Hollyleaf nudged Leafpool, ordering her to run back into StarClan.

Rage bubbled up inside Mapleshade as her jaws closed on Hollyleaf's throat.

"Take her spirit!" Silverhawk dared.

Mapleshade picked Hollyleaf up by her neck, tossing her into the waiting Shadowpool.

"No!" yowled Leafpool, racing back to where her kit was. "I won't let you take what's left of her!"

"Too late," cackled a deep voice. "We already have."

The frosty starlight faded from Hollyleaf's fur, evaporating in the dark waters of the Shadowpool.

Leafpool gasped at the dark tabby, backing away as her light brown fur fluffed up in horror.

"Is this Tigerstar?" Frostfang whispered to Mapleshade.

"Yes, he is," Mapleshade muttered back, grinning widely.

"Just because you're back from the dead doesn't mean you have to stop respecting me," Mapleshade meowed to Tigerstar.

"Take her spirit and give it to Hawkfrost," Tigerstar demanded, flicking his tail toward Leafpool.

"Paws off my apprentice!" yowled a gray she-cat.

"Cinderpelt?" Leafpool looked shocked. "I thought you were Cinderheart!"

"Not anymore," Cinderpelt mewed. "I detached myself from Cinderheart when she chose to follow her own destiny."

"How touching," sneered Tigerstar. "But I'm afraid it's too late."

Tigerstar flung the screeching Leafpool into the Shadowpool as almost at once, Hawkfrost appeared.

"No..." Cinderpelt pelted back to StarClan's territory, sobbing.

"Let us rage war," Hawkfrost breathed.

"This... this is _very _bizarre," Frostfang murmured to Mapleshade.

Mapleshade ignored her, standing up tall. Breezepelt flashed a quick glance at her.

"The end of the Clans is near," she meowed.

Thistleclaw padded forward to Mapleshade.

"I see that Lionclaw is under some distress," he mewed. "Perhaps I can train him in the ways of the Dark Forest."

"No," Mapleshade announced. "Let Ravenwing."


	13. Journey Uphill

**Last chapter was INCREDIBLY strange, I know. And VERY short, I know.**

Chapter 12

Ravenwing, Stormfrost, Frostfang, Whiskernose and Lionclaw padded toward the stretching mountains, fluffing their fur up against the early newleaf chill. A sea of trees spread out over the lush, leaf-littered ground as clumps of fronds and ferns grew rarer with every step.

"My paws ache!" wailed Lionclaw.

"Yeah, we've been walking for ages!" Frostfang complained, leaning against Lionclaw for support.

"Get off me!" spat Lionclaw, throwing Frostfang off his shoulders.

Ravenwing trudged on, seeing small traces of melting snow.

Lionclaw and Frostfang broke into an argument about who was more tired, cold and hungry.

"Would you two stop bickering?!" Stormfrost hissed to the two cats.

"Looks like two special cats are falling for each other!" Whiskernose teased.

"Shut up or I'll claw your ears off!" snarled Frostfang, flattening her ears back to her skull as a howling wind roared over them.

"Why don't we stop to rest?" Ravenwing suggested.

"That," huffed Lionclaw, "Is by far, the _best _idea I've heard in moons."

"Shut it!" Whiskernose spat, perking his ears.

"What is it?" Ravenwing asked worriedly.

Whiskernose stiffened as four dark red pelts came charging out of the thick undergrowth.

"Fox!" yowled Stormfrost, unsheathing her claws.

Frostfang bared her teeth as she leaped onto one of the foxes, sinking her claws into its neck.

"Frostfang!" Ravenwing warned. "Be careful!"

He lunged for a fox as it fastened its teeth in his daughter's shoulder.

Frostfang flung it off as the fox she was originally attacking collapsed to the floor as its honey-amber eyes glazed over.

"I can take care of myself!" she hissed to Ravenwing as he dug his claws into a fox's shoulders, sending it whimpering away in terror.

Stormfrost and Whiskernose fought off a fox, while Lionclaw and Frostfang sent one howling away into the woods.

"Good job," Ravenwing meowed, glancing down at the dead fox Frostfang had killed.

"Can we rest now?" Lionclaw asked tiredly, flopping down on a patch of dried nettle.

Ravenwing glanced at a cluster of well-shaded dens. He flicked his tail over there, watching in amusement as Lionclaw dashed into one.

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Ash-gray rocks crumbled at Ravenwing's paws as he strode with his patrol farther into the mountains. A spray of pink washed over the stones, reflecting the brightly colored light into a dazzle of soft blue as the yellow-white sun rose above the horizon. Several eagles circled the cats overhead, flapping their giant, dark wings.

A pale-tabby figure flashed past them, flinging herself on Frostfang.

"Frostfang!" Ravenwing called. He shoved the she-cat off of his daughter.

"Intruders!" spat the tabby, snarling. "What do you think you're doing on Tribe territory?"

"Tribe..." Ravenwing murmured softly. "You're the Tribe of Rushing Water!"

"That's right," the she-cat hissed. Then, her voice softened. "Wait, how'd you know...?"

"No time to explain," Ravenwing meowed. "We're here to help."

"Great!" the she-cat squealed. "I'm Lark that Sings at Dawn. But you can call me Lark."

"I'm Ravenwing," Ravenwing informed her. "And that's Stormfrost, Frostfang, Whiskernose and Lionclaw."

"He's deputy!" chimed Lionclaw.

"You all have Clan names! Like my father!" Lark squeaked.

"Huh?" Frostfang sounded purely baffled.

"Let me show you around!" Lark invited. "I separated from my group of cave-guards and prey-hunters."

"I... have no idea who they are," Whiskernose meowed, uncomfortable.

"Let me introduce you to everyone!" Lark mewed kindly.

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"This is Brook Where Small Fish Swim, my mother, but you can call her Brook," Lark introduced them to a dark tabby she-cat.

"And this is Pine That Clings to Rock, but just Pine is fine," Lark pointed with her tail to a lithe, light brown tabby tom.

"That's Stormfur," Pine meowed darkly, his eyes flashing to a dark gray tom. "He's our father."

"Greetings," Stormfur muttered as darkly as Pine.

"Why is everyone acting so... so _dark_?" Lionclaw hissed to Lark.

"Sharptooth's daughter," Lark admitted. "She's been terrorizing this place for a while. She killed Splash."

"Sharptooth?" Ravenwing echoed.

"A small lion that killed cats and Feathertail, whom we shall never forget. Sharptooth died, and now his daughter is fully-grown and is coming to kill," Lark explained quickly.

"There was a prophecy about a silver cat for Sharptooth," Brook meowed quietly. "That cat, we thought was Stormfur at first, but it turned out to be his sister, Feathertail, who died while protcting Crowfeather from getting killed by Sharptooth, saving us all and going to StarClan and the Tribe of Endless Hunting."

"But now," Pine murmured. "There is a prophecy about a black cat."

Stormfur eyed Ravenwing up and down.

"Hmm..." he mewed thoughtfully. "Yes, you _are _indeed a black cat."

"Could he be the one, you think?" Lark queried.

"Crowfeather is dead," Stormfrost meowed.

"I believe Ravenwing is the one!" Brook cheered.

"Do you think Scratchclaw will be defeated by him?" Pine wondered aloud.

"It's worth a try," meowed a broad-shouldered cat.

"Let them stay for tonight," meowed a dark gray tom.

"Of course, Stoneteller," mewed Stormfur.

"Build them nests," Stoneteller ordered to Brook, who nodded in reply, dashing off.

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Ravenwing watched as Frostfang settled down beside Lionclaw, their fur mingling. Stormfrost settled down beside Ravenwing, breathing slowly as she drifted into a quiet sleep. Whiskernose lay down one nest over from Stormfrost.

Ravenwing's thoughts evaporated as sleep claimed him with a pang.

"Ravenwing!" Mapleshade hissed.

Ravenwing's eyes flashed open as he stood still in StarClan.

"It's time you knew..."


	14. Shock Beyond Repair

Chapter 13

"Knew what?" Ravenwing was quite confused.

"This isn't StarClan, it's the Dark Forest," Mapleshade replied.

"You lied to me!" spat Ravenwing.

"I never said anything about it being StarClan," Mapleshade meowed calmly. "And what difference does it make?"

"I don't know anymore..." muttered Ravenwing, turning his head away.

Mapleshade looked at him sternly.

"Listen to me, Ravenwing," she hissed as Ravenwing reluctantly turned his head back toward Mapleshade.

"Do you want to be leader or not?" she taunted, beginning to circle him.

"Yes... I guess..." murmured Ravenwing, shifting his paws uncomfortably.

"Will you allow me to make you leader?" Mapleshade coaxed.

"Yeah... sure..." Ravenwing mewed, unsure where this was going.

"Good." Mapleshade smiled brightly. "Good..."

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It turned out that the Tribe solved their own problems overnight, forcing Ravenwing and the others to head back home.

"That was _so _weird," meowed Frostfang, scuffing the hard earth with her paws.

"You said it," Lionclaw mewed, inching closer to her.

Ravenwing watched the two with intense interest.

Every now and then a sharp breeze would blow, and Frostfang would complain about the cold, pressing up against Lionclaw for warmth. When no breeze was blowing, Lionclaw would inch closer to her every second until their fur mingled. Then, they'd eventually separate. What was going on with them?

"Ravenwing! Frostfang! Whiskernose! Lionclaw!" called Stormfrost. "We're here!"

Once they entered the WindClan camp, the scent of fear overwhelmed them.

"What happened?" Frostfang countered as cats slowly began to creep out of their dens.

Kestrelflight solemnly padded up to them.

"Ashstar..." he mumbled.

Ravenwing's heart beat faster.

"Ashstar is dead."

Horror gripped Ravenwing's stomach like icy claws. So _this _was what Mapleshade meant when she said she'd make him leader! He should never have trusted her in the first place!

"Tonight, you receive your nine lives," Kestrelflight informed him. "I will go with you."

"Of... of course," meowed Ravenwing distractedly as grief replaced his shock and realization.

"And now you're supposed to appoint the new deputy," whispered Stormfrost.

"Oh, right," muttered Ravenwing, yowling to the Clan.

"I say this before Ashstar's body so that she may hear and approve my choice!" yowled Ravenwing. "Frostfang will be the new deputy of WindClan."

A shocked murmur rippled throughout the Clan.

"You can't!" Softbreeze called. "She hasn't had an apprentice yet!"

Frostfang flashed the she-cat a glare.

Kestrelflight's eyes widened as he looked at Softbreeze.

"What?" Softbreeze scoffed.

"You..." began Kestrelflight. "You're expecting kits!"

"That's great news!" Gingerfur squealed.

Grayflight looked rather jealous of his brother.

"I'm _so _proud of you," he muttered, his tone rich with sarcasm.

But Gingerfur didn't get the message.

"Thanks!" he huffed instead, quite proudly.

"Oh, _you're welcome_!" sneered Grayflight.

Gingerfur frowned as the message slowly came to him.

"Ugh!" hissed Softbreeze. "Kits! _Why _did it have to be kits?!"

"Wait," mewed Gingerfur, baffled. "You _don't _want to be a mother?"

Softbreeze faced her mate indignantly.

"That's right," she retorted. "I don't like kits."

Gingerfur narrowed his eyes, lashing his tail, turning away quickly.

"I can't believe you," he spat at her.

Ravenwing sighed.

"Anyway," he meowed firmly. "Since Frostfang hasn't had an apprentice yet, Gingerfur, who mentored Hawkfoot, will be the new deputy."

Ravenwing smiled as he caught Gingerfur with his jaws open in shock. Frostfang shot Ravenwing an icy glare.

Gorsetail sighed solemnly.

"That's just how Ashstar looked when she was chosen as deputy. Ashfoot then..." she sighed, turning her head away.

"Gingerfur! Gingerfur!" cheered the Clan.

Ravenwing sure was happy with his choice.

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"Push, Softbreeze, push!" Kestrelflight's meow echoed throughout camp.

Ravenstar sat outside his den as he watched Redfur dash into the nursery, a bundle of herbs clasped tightly in her jaws.

"Three she-kits and a tom!" called Redfur from the den.

Ravenstar entered the den, looking down at his foster sister's new kits, Gingerfur sitting proudly beside his mate.

"What are you going to name them?" Gingerfur asked.

Ravenstar was surprised to see affection in Softbreeze's eyes. It wasn't for Gingerfur- it was for her kits.

"This one," Softbreeze rested her tail on the light gray she-cat. "Is going to be named Mousekit."

Ashstorm, Hawkfoot, Mosscloud and Mistcloud peered inside the nursery, but their heads quickly retreated as Redfur shot them a glare.

"And the dark ginger she-kit..." Softbreeze murmured gently. "Firekit."

Firekit squirmed as Softbreeze's tongue rasped over her spine.

"You name the last two," Softbreeze whispered to Gingerfur.

"Um..." mumbled Gingerfur, shifting his paws. "The... the reddish tom-kit... Applekit."

He gazed down at the white she-kit tainted with black flecks.

"And the white she-kit," he meowed. "Snowkit."

Ravenstar murmured, "Congratulations," to the happy couple, and he, Redfur and Kestrelflight padded out of the den.

"You!" Squirrelstar and a band of ThunderClan warriors raced down the slope and into the WindClan camp. "You've been stealing prey from ThunderClan, WindClan!"

"You are wrong!" Ravenstar announced boldly. "We have avoided your territory."

"It is you that is wrong!" yowled Lionblaze, the deputy. "And now, we have come to attack!"

Suddenly, RiverClan bolted into the WindClan camp, standing tall beside ThunderClan.

"You have been stealing prey from RiverClan as well!" Mistystar challenged.

"That's outrageous!" hissed Gingerfur, the deputy of WindClan as he padded out of the nursery.

"ThunderClan, RiverClan, attack!" yowled Lionblaze as the two Clans charged into the WindClan camp.

"Quick, Stormfrost!" Ravenwing meowed quickly. "Get ShadowClan to help us!"

Stormfrost nodded briskly, slipping away into ShadowClan territory.

**The next chapter will be put in Stormfrost's POV! Yay! Hope you enjoyed!**


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